It has been widely accepted amongst those in the oil and gas industry that the era of easily available, “cheap” energy is over. In order to meet rapidly growing demand, it is becoming more and more necessary to move offshore in the search for conventional oil and gas plays. Since the feasibility of a well's production is driven largely by economic, rather than technical factors, it is very important to control costs as much as possible.
With the oil and gas industry increasingly looking for energy offshore, there will be increased costs associated with the complexity of drilling below the ocean floor in deeper water. A leak detected after latching the lower marine riser package (LMRP) in deep water can cost the rig and the energy producer up to a $12 million in lost time. There is a need to be able to test the BOP/riser connection and cap seal for pressure integrity at surface before the operator runs to depth with the LMRP.